Website basics ...for the Commencement Officer
who doesn't want to have to be a geek
If you're considering a new commencement website or a redesign of what you have, you have a lot to consider. We asked one webmaster to list a few fundamental issues you need to think about or be aware of before you hand the technical side to the IT folks:
- "Design" has two elements; the "look" of your site and the logic of its organization. If visitors can't find what they need, the site is just an expense, lacking real value.
- Plan on knowing your site, intimately. You or a designee should constantly check both internal and external links to make sure they're current and valid. Visitors will be frustrated and dissatisfied if your links point to pages that don't exist anymore or that are outdated (see "...manage updates," below).
- Know your target audience and what services you want to provide
- Recognize that some fraction of the audience won't... or won't be able... to use the site
- Having a handsome (or "beautiful") site is great; having a site whose graphic design relies on lots of images and complicated coding makes it inaccessible to those who don't have highspeed internet access. As of 2006, barely half of US adults had such access, either at home or work. "Heavy" sites can be so slow to show up on the visitor's screen that they'll take up your time by using the telephone instead of the website.
- Consider "accessibility." Ask your webmaster about compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, §508) and compliance with "w3c standards" - html 4.01 strict or transitional, recommended.
- How will you manage updates? Keeping content current is critial! Last year's information needs to be replaced almost as soon as that commencement is over, even if it's only with a schedule for announcing next year's information. As deadlines pass (say, for example, faculty and students must reserve regalia by certain dates, when those dates pass, an update telling laggards their options needs to be posted immediately. Can you provide that information? Can your webmaster post it promptly?
Website Examples
The following is a sampling of web sites that give information about university commencement and graduation activities. These sites are maintained by their home institutions and are posted as examples of institution sites. Any information posted at these sites is maintained by the institutions. Questions about these sites should be directed to the web master for the hosting college or university.
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